Oxfordshire Limited Edition – July 2019

106 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition|June 2019

Plantsandpondsaren’ttheonlythingsthatcanbringbeautytoagarden.

Nicholson’siskeepingtheartofsculpturealive

CLASSICAL BEAUTIES

B

ackin 1483 ,Poggio

Bracciolinowaslaughedat

forputtingclassicalstatues

inhisgarden,butwhenthe

Renaissancestylewasborn,

everythingfromwarriorsto

cherubsbegantopopupeverywhere.

Thereissomethingaboutclassical

sculpturethatindulgesoursenses,from

makingusgiggleatdiscreetlycarvedfigleaves

inmodestplaces,tosquirmingindiscomfort

asanimalheadsemergefrombeautiful

humanforms.

Sculptureplacementisextremely

important,asinappropriatelyplacedpieces

canlooklikeabandoned“litter”inthegarden,

clashingwiththeirsurroundingsratherthan

addingtothelandscape.

Rousham,awell-curatedsculpturegarden

inOxfordshire,wasdesignedbyWilliam

Kentinthe 18 thcenturyandisstilllovingly

preservedtodaybytheCottrellDormerfamily

andtheirwonderfulheadgardener,Ann.

EverypieceatRoushamhasmeaning,

asenseofplace,andtellsastoryasyou

roamalongwindingpathsthatlinkthrough

thesimplyplantedwoodedvalleys.Kent’s

unchangedlandscaperemainsatimeless

classic,wherethethoughtfulgardenstructure

isadornedwithplentyofpointsofinterestas

youmovethroughoutthegrounds.

Kentwasoncequotedassayinghe

“jumpedthefenceandsawthatallnatureis

agarden”.Hisreflectionresonateswithmy

considereddislikeof“bling”,andshinyor

garishlycolouredornamentsdisruptingthe

naturalbeautyofalandscape.

AtNicholson’s,ourdesignteamshares

Kent’sintentionstodevelopoutdoorspaces